Many respiratory diseases, including asthma, are treated with the use of a device called a nebulizer. These “nebulizers” take liquid or solid medication (such as respiratory steroids) and, through compressed air or other technologies, nebulize the medication into a fine mist that is then blown through a tube into a mask. Generally, the following conditions must be met during delivery of the nebulized medicine: a) the mask must be placed on a cooperative patient's mouth and nose, b) the patient must sit in an upright position, c) the mask must form a tight seal on the patient's face, and d) the medicine must be administered for a fairly extended period, e.g., 10 minutes, with the patient in this state. During this process (a)-(d) are often not possible, and the patient may be uncooperative during the treatment resulting in an incomplete or ineffective treatment. If treatments are not given effectively on a regular basis the result is often deterioration of the respiratory condition, often resulting in an attack that sends the patient to the Hospital or Emergency Room.
Research has identified that treatments given at night while the subject is sleeping are most effective due to the deep regular breathing conditions achieved during sleep. Medication delivered to a sleeping subject penetrates deeper into the lungs, allowing more effective treatment and prevention of respiratory attacks. However, when delivering treatments to a sleeping patient, parents or caregivers are often forced to manipulate nebulizer devices or use them ineffectively.
In hospital settings where multiple infants, or patients have respiratory conditions that require nebulized medical treatments, nurses and care givers are required to administer treatments on an individual basis. Due to current limitations in respirator medical devices, nurses and caregivers generally must physically hold a mask on or near a patient's face and carefully watch that the medicine cup is held in an upright orientation.